122 YETEKINARY MATERIA MEDICA. 



complete muscular resolution, and death by paraly- 

 sis of respiration and heart. 



Treatment of Acute Alcoholism. — Evacuate the 

 stomach if possible; inhalation of ammonia vapor; 

 cold affusion to head and neck, warmth and friction 

 to the extremities ; faradization of respiratory mus- 

 cles; mucilaginous drinks. Ammonium chloride 

 given in solution is said to restore the faculties and 

 to antagonize the stupor. 



Therapeutics.— Alcohol, besides being used ex- 

 tensively as a solvent for many drugs in pharmacy 

 and the arts, is sometimes given as a food, but only 

 a very small quantity is used up in the system, and 

 its continued use is certainly deleterious. It is given 

 in atonic indigestion, in small doses, to stimulate 

 gastric secretions and improve the appetite ; in both 

 flatulent and spasmodic colic, to expel flatus and to 

 relieve spasms. In diarrhoea, combined with sodium 

 benzoateand vegetable astringents; cardiac failure or 

 weak heart from fright, chill, or shock ; in milk fever 

 of cows, with strychnine, belladonna, and sweet spirit 

 of nitre; in epizootic catarrh and sore throat, when 

 heart is weak and respirations quick and hurried — 

 combine with spiritus setheris nitrosi and camphor, 

 given in linseed tea; in pneumonia and other diseases 

 of the respiratory apparatus, it is frequently con- 

 joined with quinine sulphate and tincture of aconite. 

 It is given in pyaemia, septicaemia, and in convales- 

 cence from all debilitating disorders; also imme- 

 diately before chloroform anaesthesia to sustain the 

 heart and prolong the chloroform narcosis. Exter- 



